The Connection
by Freak Apple
Summary: The story of Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Marco, Tobias, and Ax before they became the Animorphs. I doesnt really affect KA's storyline, no time traveling either. Just the musings of everyone's favorite semi-ominpotent being.


DISCLAIMER: Animorphs aint mine. Hehe, I just like to screw around with them. . .  
  
NOTE: This was just a sudden burst of inspiration. The Ellimist said he "shuffled the deck" early on, right? Well this is what the Animorph's lives were like before that fateful day they met Elfangor. . . No Sario Rips, time travel, or any of that. This is just a simple flashback. . .  
  
PRESENT - 1999  
  
The Animorphs were sitting in Cassie's barn, waiting for Erek the Chee to arrive with some news from the Yeerk Empire.  
  
Cassie bent over a injured goose, wrapping it's leg in a bandage despite it's constant flapping and honking. Jake watched Cassie in admiration from his place on a rusty stool. Marco was leaning near the doorway, trying to explain the importance of underwear to Ax. Ax crossed his human arms and nodded as though he understood, though the puzzled expression on his face showed otherwise. Tobias was perched in his usual perch on the roof of the barn, seemingly silent to the rest except for Rachel. Rachel sat cross-legged on a bale of hay pretending to read a magazine. Every once in a while she would smile and nod at what Tobias was saying to her in thought-speak.  
  
"Is Tobias thought-flirting again?" Marco asked innocently. Rachel glared at him.  
  
"Shut up Marco."  
  
"I'm just wondering what he's saying. I mean what, like 'Hey Rachel wanna stop by my tree? I want you to meet my other friends Timmy the squirrel and John the owl. We're having toasted roadkill.'" Marco said.  
  
Jake suppressed a laugh. Cassie smiled.  
  
"Well squirrels don't eat roadkill."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Rachel groaned, "Just shut up, okay?"  
  
Besides, the squirrel's name is Freddie. Tobias joked.  
  
"Was I right about the owl though?"  
  
Sure why not. Then he looked at the others. Just let the little psycho think what he wants.  
  
We all laughed except Ax, who was still confused.  
  
"You have been naming the animals Tobias?" he wondered.  
  
Nooooooo, I -   
  
"The fuun has arriiived!" a voice announced. Erek walked through the barn door.  
  
"Yay." Marco said with no enthusiasm whatsoever.  
  
I watched them. The Animorphs, the saviors of their race and my chosen champions. I often smiled at their antics, but despite their humor they were very important in the game. Very important.  
  
I plucked a thread of time, bringing me back approximately nine human years. It was at this time fate decided to intervene. Even I do not have control over fate. . .  
  
PAST - 1990  
  
A five year old Rachel and an almost 5 year old Cassie sat in the park swings, their tiny feet disturbing the sand underneath.  
  
"My mommy said her and daddy want to give me another sister or brother." Rachel said.  
  
"You already have a sister." Little Cassie pointed out.  
  
"That's what I said but mommy says I could have another one." Little Rachel pouted.  
  
"I want one." Cassie said thoughtfully.  
  
"No Jordan is a cuckoo-head." Rachel said with a grin. They giggled.  
  
"I like babies they are cute."  
  
"Jordan pooped on ME once." They giggled some more.  
  
"Ewwwww!"  
  
Suddenly a brown-eyed, messy-haired boy holding a foam football dove into the sand in front of them. He sprayed sand into Rachel's lap.  
  
"JAKE YOU DOO DOO!!" Rachel yelled. She kicked sand onto her cousin.  
  
"AHHH! I got sand in my eye! AUNT NAOMI!!!" he screamed.  
  
Cassie got off the swing. "Are you ok?"  
  
Jake and Cassie looked at each other. Not because they had any notion of their future, just because Jake sensed a caring soul in her.  
  
"Yeah." He quickly got up and brushed off his pants.  
  
"You big baby." Rachel said. She grabbed Jake's football and threw it. Jake glared.  
  
"Your stupid."  
  
"Your stupider."  
  
"No I'm older."  
  
"So your still stupider."  
  
Jake ran off to retrieve his ball. He returned with his friend Marco, a very small, olive-skinned boy.  
  
"Wanna play?" Jake asked, pointing to the slide.  
  
Marco, without any reason except that he thought it would be fun, dove into the sand. Sand sprayed across Cassie and Rachel again.  
  
"Marco you stupid!" Rachel screamed. Marco giggled and ran away, with Rachel on his heels.  
  
"Your friend is dumb." Cassie said shyly to Jake.  
  
Jake stuck his tongue out. "Nuh-uh Rachel is dumb."  
  
They walked to the slide, were Rachel was chasing Marco around and around. They crashed into a skinny boy with long dark blonde hair. He looked like he was crying under the slide.  
  
"Hi. . ." Rachel said cautiously.  
  
The boy looked up. "Hi."  
  
"Why are you crying?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Nothing." The boy responded.  
  
"I'm Marco." Marco said.  
  
"I'm Rachel"  
  
"I'm Tobias." The boy answered.  
  
"Do you go to first grade?"  
  
"Yeah but I'm moving tomorrow."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Jake and Cassie arrived and said hi to Tobias. Then a large angry man stomped over.  
  
"TOBIAS YOU RUNT HOW MANY TIMES DO I GOTTA TELL YOU NOT TO RUN OFF?" with that the man grabbed Tobias's arm and dragged him away. He waved sadly.  
  
"YOU UGLY POOP HEAD!" Rachel yelled at the man. He turned and cursed. Then he continued to drag Tobias away.  
  
Within minutes Rachel, Jake, Marco, and Cassie had forgotten about the strange boy under the slide.  
  
AT THE SAME TIME ON THE ANDALITE PLANET. . .  
  
Elfangor stood tall under his tree. He was gazing at the stars, thinking. Wishing. Then his little brother Aximili came galloping up, distracting him.  
  
There making fun of me again. Aximili whined to his brother.  
  
Why?  
  
They said I'm slow.  
  
Elfangor focused his eyes on his brother. They're idiots. Don't listen to them.  
  
I know. Aximili said. He stood next to his brother, who was a good deal larger than himself.  
  
What are you looking at? Aximili asked.  
  
The stars, Aximili. There are so many. Elfangor said.  
  
Yeah, so? You go there all the time Elfangor.  
  
Elfangor looked at his brother. Yes but I am looking at one particular star. He pointed to a tiny dot, no different from the rest of the stars.  
  
What's that? Aximili asked.  
  
Elfangor smiled an Andalite smile. Someday we will go to the stars together. I want you to meet someone. Two someones.  
  
Who?  
  
Someone special to me, that I love. Someone I had no choice but to leave behind.  
  
Is he fast? Aximili wondered.  
  
Elfangor laughed. Trust me, he will be slower than you. He only has two legs.  
  
Two legs? That's stupid Elfangor.  
  
It may be. But their legs have nothing to do with what is on the inside.  
  
Aximili stared up at his hero brother curiously. What are you talking about? Next thing I know you'll be telling me they only have one heart!  
  
Elfangor laughed. I promise you will meet him. In the meantime, let's run!  
  
Together they ran across the bluish-green Andalite plains.  
  
I watched this timeline occur, as though it never happened before. It was this timeline that I was following. The timeline where at the exact same moment all of my champions were connected for the very first time, even if one was light years away. I had nothing to do with it, it was the work of fate. But I was able to catch this and thus formulate my plan. . .  
  
PAST - 1998  
  
It was Rachel's 13th birthday party. Cassie was there and so was Jake. Jake had dragged along Marco. Rachel had opened her presents and was staring at Marco's gift.  
  
"What is THAT!?" she demanded.  
  
"It's the 5th issue of spiderman! Mint condition!" Marco said proudly. Rachel stared at Marco, one eyebrow arched.  
  
"Yeah okay thanks." She put it in the pile and leaned to Cassie on her left.  
  
"Tomorrow we're returning this at the mall." She whispered. Cassie rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a giggle.  
  
"Hey I heard that." Marco sulked. "Anyway Big Al doesn't take returns."  
  
"He will from me. My dad knows him." Jake said.  
  
"Okay so we meet at the mall tomorrow." Rachel announced. "I want to do some shopping first so how bout around 6?"  
  
"I don't have to go, do I?" Cassie pretended to whine. She knew the answer already.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Fine. Six. I got it."  
  
"No, 2. Your going shopping with me!"  
  
Cassie groaned.  
  
"Okay I'll be there at 6" Jake said.  
  
"No earlier. I want to kick your tail at the arcade." Marco said.  
  
So they made plans. Unfortunately Rachel had to run a few errands with her mother, so it was all called off.  
  
I had frowned. This was not the way it was supposed to be. I had miscalculated and now I was at a disadvantage in the game. But again, fate intervened. . .  
  
At the last minute on their way home Rachel's mother gave in to Rachel's begging and dropped her off at Cassie's house.  
  
Cassie opened the door. "Rach? I thought you were busy?"  
  
"Finished early." She said, grinning. "We're going shopping." Rachel grabbed Cassie by the arm and dragged her to the mall, were Jake and Marco were playing video games.  
  
Tobias had seen Rachel at school and was developing a crush. He lacked the courage to confront her, but all he wanted was to be near her. He had heard that Rachel spent a lot of time at the mall, so he went there everyday hoping to catch a glimpse of here. Today was his lucky day.  
  
They all met accidently at the arcade. They all left together. And all their lives were changed that night. That night I made my largest move. All thanks to fate.  
  
It was my doing that led the humans to the young Andalite Aximili. I was the one that chose the players.  
  
Marco, a boy who's determination was fueled by his desire to save his mother, Visser One.  
  
Tobias, the son of a forgotten timeline. The beginning and end of this timeline.  
  
Aximili, an andalite sworn to avenge his idolized brother.  
  
Cassie, the anomaly. The sub-temporally grounded girl who would serve as an anchor in this reality, no matter what foul move my opponent made.  
  
And then the cousins, Jake and Rachel. The leader and the warrior. They were the glue that held my plan together. Without them my team would never have even met. They are the ones who brought together all my players.  
  
And they were a complete accident. A happy accident brought about by fate.  
  
What did you think? I thought it was cute. Plus it was bugging me all day. I hope you like it. Review please! This is a one time thing, I don't see how I could do a sequel to this. Plus its way too serious for me, I don't think I could do this again. 


End file.
